My CD RW drive won't open and according to "My computer" it doesn't exist....ideas this way please

[SleighlyMadSanta]

Couldn't get it to open with the button last week - BUT I know the icon was there yesterday.

Today I can't get it to open so I would see if I could do it from My comuter etc. and now there is no icon .

Help I want to burn some photos.

[bookofchristmascarolsmum]

Have you tried rebooting it and seeing if it reappears?

Basic stuff I know and irritating if you've already tried this .

[SleighlyMadSanta]

NO...PC is a bit flacky ATM. I will check when I next log on. Not sure I want to log off just to try.

TBH if it wasn't working 3 days ago I suspect reboting will be futile.

[TenLordsaLapin]

Have you tried typing "D:" into an Explorer window? It should tell you if it can find it.

ALWAYS reboot as a first line of enquiry. And a proper hard boot - ie all the way off - not just restart

[SleighlyMadSanta]

HOw do I get the explorer window with the address bar at the top?

[TenLordsaLapin]

Rightclick on START and select "Explore"

[SleighlyMadSanta]

Couldn't find that but if I type it into "Run" it says cannot be found.

[TenLordsaLapin]

What are you using, XP? Vista?

Hard boot, and see what happens.

[SleighlyMadSanta]

XP..

Right I am going to shut down (which will upset DTDs as they are listening to XMas CD thru DVD drive .

I am going to cook veg for tea and will reboot at sometime before bedtime.....

[PartridgeinaRustyBearTree]

Have you been using any USB drives in the computer recently? More particularly, have you started the computer with a usb drive (or a photo card) plugged in? Sometimes if you do this it can take the drive letter that's usually reserved for something else.
Try right clicking on My Computer and choose Manage from the menu. Under Storage click on Disk Management - it should tell you which drive is which there.

However, if you can't physically open the drive it sounds like it might be a power/cable problem. It's not an Elonex machine by any chance is it? We have a suite of them at the school I work at and five out of 14 have had CD problems of various kinds - if you haven't solved it by tomorrow I'll have a look at the repair dockets & see what they say.

[SleighlyMadSanta]

Well teh demons seem to have been banished.

I didn't think the reboot would work because of it happening about 3 days ago....and ov being rebooted between times.

[TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor]

I take it you looked in your control panel and that is where the icon has disappeared from?

[MrsWeasleysmagicmincepies]

Count to 10, shout ready of not here I come and then look

Sorry in a silly mood since the kids did the tree.

[SleighlyMadSanta]

No tiny tim...I just checked "my computer"

MrsWeasly...don't worry I could do with cheering up....